From June, the monsoon arrives in the Western Ghats and rewrites the landscape. Slopes that were dry turn deep green in a matter of weeks, and seasonal waterfalls appear along the hillsides.

It is the season Lonavala is best known for, and the one that most tests a house. Persistent rain, moving mist and high humidity are not incidental here — they are the defining conditions for a third of the year.

This is why covered terraces, deep eaves, considered drainage and generous glazing matter so much in our villas. They let you stay close to the weather without living in it.

Done well, the monsoon stops being something to shelter from and becomes the best reason to be here.